Buying a used automobile is always a bit unsettling, exclusively when buying from a private bust, or at one of the smaller, fly-by-night vehivle lots. Not one shot end you affliction approximately if the automobile is in positive running categorization, nevertheless you chalk up no doctrine of the account of the motorcar. Most of the period, provided the seller is ethical or the machine quantity reputable, you Testament be informed provided a van has a salvage title. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't know that until you go to register the vehicle. A salvaged vehicle is one that has been in a major accident and declared a total loss by the insurer. Sometimes the car was stolen and, again, declared a total loss. There were a lot of cars declared salvaged during Hurricane Katrina, when they ended up underwater. There are ways of determining if a car is a salvage.
Check the doors, inside the hood, tailgate or hatchback for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) labels. Those are usually missing from salvaged cars. Look especially close at the inner fenders for signs of repair work, and under the carpet in the trunk for signs of mold, mud or rust. Check the VIN plate to see if it is still attached with the original rivets.
Instructions
1. Check the car, from bumper to bumper, for evidence that it may have been in an accident or met with some other calamity. Another place to inspect is the airbag covering. Check to see if there is any evidence that it has been resealed. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair claims that this is one of the most blatant signs that the car has been salvaged.2. Take the car to an experienced mechanic and ask that he or she go over it, looking for signs of water damage, or major repair work.
3. Get a Vehicle History Report in order to determine whether it has had a junk or salvage title. There are various online companies that will do this for you, for a fee. Or, you can try the free service at the National Insurance Crime Bureau:
https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck
